Sport
12 March, 2026
Nevins experiences a summer northern exposure
A SUMMER playing in the Northern Territory has Inglewood young gun Gabe Nevins convinced that his football has been changed forever.
Nevins, 20, signed for NTFL club after the Woodies’ season finished and is playing in a reserves preliminary final this weekend.
His efforts with the club have been rewarded with the Tiger reserves’ Most Valuable Player award, a significant achievement in a strong competition.
The transition from cold Loddon Valley winters to steamy, wet Top End summers was not an easy one.
“I first came up a couple of weeks after footy finished back home,” Nevins told the Loddon Herald.
“You think you’re fit, and then you go to training and it hits you – you’re absolutely knackered in the humidity.
“It feels like you haven’t gone for a run in six months.”
He made his senior debut for Nightcliff in round one against the Tiwi Bombers, playing alongside Rory Atkins, who retired from the AFL last season after 141 matches.
The Bombers – “a quick side, all go, not much defence” – were a challenging opponent, but Nevins was happy with his performance, playing on the wing.
He said it took him about a month to get used to the conditions in Darwin, but it had been a great learning experience.
“There’s a lot of good footballers up here, and I’m just trying to learn as much as I can.
“It will probably change my footy for the rest of my life.”
Nevins said the standard of reserves football in the NTFL was strong.
“Nightcliff reserves would probably go toe-to-toe with the Inglewood seniors side – the reserves is a pretty good competition.
“And the seniors is a state league – VFL standard.”
Nevins joined Nightcliff with a mate, Mitiamo’s Zach Morrison, who was keen to head north.
It’s a journey Nevins said he would likely repeat in a few years’ time “with a bit more experience, a bit of a bigger build, a bit more maturity.
“My plan is to come back as fit as buggery.”
He wants to push into the Inglewood’s talented onball division this year.
But first there’s a flag to be won, with the Tigers up against St Mary’s this week, and then hopefully another meeting with unbeaten
Banks.
St Mary’s season has followed Inglewood’s pattern from 2025 – after finishing fifth on the ladder they’ve won two finals and made it to the preliminary final.
The Woodies fell at that hurdle – Nevins hopes the Saints will do the same.
Read More: Inglewood